Dundalk 1-3 Derry City

Derry City maintained their 100% away record as Rory Patterson helped himself to a brace of penalties in the Candystripes' 3-1 win over Dundalk at Oriel Park.

Patterson grabbed his first in the 31st minute - cancelling out Vinny Faherty's opener for a Dundalk side that were rampant in the early stages - before adding a second, and Derry's third, ten minutes after Barry MacNamee had put the visitors ahead in the 58th minute.

With just two goals conceded all season, Derry's defence arrived with a mean reputation but they were cut open twice in the opening 10 minutes as the home side started on the front foot.

A Faherty flick set Kurtis Byrne through on goal after just two minutes but although the striker beat Ger Doherty, his run didn't beat the offside flag and the goal was ruled out.

Byrne, who looked a threat on the shoulder of Derry defenders, was in again five minutes later, this time getting on the end of a delicious Keith Ward flick. The ball bounced kindly for the striker to the right of the six-yard box but he found the angle too much and fired wide.

Kenny, who mentioned the 1913 lockout, Margaret Thatcher and James Connolly in the opening paragraph of his programme notes, would have been delighted with his side's quick-tempo start to the game and they took a deserved lead after 19 minutes.

It was the result of a fine team move. O'Donnell picked up a Dane Massey pass just inside the penalty area to lay it off to Ward. The number 10 resisted cries to shoot, opting to thread a killer ball across the penalty area to Faherty, who took one touch before smashing the ball across Doherty and into the net.

Derry looked second best throughout but they were thrown a barely-deserved lifeline just past the half-hour mark. Referee Neil Doyle ruled that Mark Rossiter pushed Ruaidhri Higgins in the back from a free-kick and Patterson made no mistake from the spot, beating Peter Cherrie low to his left.

The decision infuriated the Oriel Park faithful and the Dublin official – who issued seven yellow cards and one red - was the focus of the jeers from the main stand as the sides left the pitch at half-time.

No doubt stung by the words of Devine at the interval, Derry were a different proposition at the start of the second-half and they went in front after 58 minutes.

A corner from the right bounced around the Dundalk box until it found its way back to the Barry MacNamee and he curled a wonderful 20-yard effort past the motionless Cherrie into the top left hand corner of the net.

The boys from the Brandywell sensed that Dundalk were on the ropes and they continued to pour forward. And when Patterson scored his second penalty of the game to make it 3-1 after John Sullivan handled a Thomas Crawley shot in the 68th minute, it looked curtains for Dundalk.

Kenny's side have made a habit of coming behind this season and they were given hope in the 73rd minute when Shane McEleney was given his marching orders for a last ditch body check on substitute Tiarnan Mulvenna but Derry held on to see it out.